The BEST Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour Blend

I am sharing the best all-purpose gluten free flour blend I make and use in all my recipes. I have included information about the blend and possible substitutions.

Why blend your own gluten free flour?

I realised that making my own gluten free flour blend contributes so much to the structure, texture and consistency of my baked goods. When I started eating gluten free in 2015, I used to buy one of the few ready-mixed flour items in store. At that time, gluten free products were not easily available in South Africa. It was so frustrating, I had cravings and nothing I baked helped me feed these cravings.

So I started experimenting on my own, adamant of getting to that blend that worked the best! Over the years, more and more ingredients became available to me and I was able to refine this recipe and finally, share it with you.

Why do I need a blend of flours for this all purpose flour blend?

If you’re here, you already know that we are removing gluten from the equation. Gluten is what helps baked goods have structure. It helps with liquid absorption and traps the bubbles coming from any leavening in your recipes that helps your cakes rise.

No one gluten free flour can do this on its own. So we need to use a blend to make up for the properties we lose by removing gluten. Using different flours means getting the benefit of each flours property and put together, we can have the perfect blend.

Measuring when blending your flour

I only included metric measurements for this blend. I want to stress this, if you are going gluten free it is important to invest in a good digital food scale. Measuring by volume will yield inconsistent results and I cannot guarantee you will get the same results doing so. If your flour is measured and mixed correctly, it will ensure your baking is consistent and successful.

This recipe makes 5 cups where 1 cup equals 140g. This is important for working the best in the recipes you will use it in.

Composition of this gluten free all-purpose flour

There are a lot of different ratios used by different bakers. This blend uses 60% grains and 35% starches and the other 5% is made up of additional ingredients. This ratio provides structure, lightness, and the right balance of all the qualities required for the best baking.

Flours in the blend and substitution options for my gluten free all-purpose flour

Rice flour

Rice flour is an absolute staple in my kitchen, as it is in any gluten free kitchen. This blend is rice-based, but it is an awesome ingredient! Rice flour can cause grittiness in baked goods, but blended with other flours, this issue disappears (Yay!). Rice flour is cheap and can easily be found in most grocery and health stores.

Tapioca starch

Although tapioca starch/flour is the starch extracted from the cassava plant roots, it is not the same as cassava flour and cannot be used interchangeably. Tapioca starch is extracted by washing and pulping of the root. Cassava incorporates the whole root which means it provides a different texture than what the starch would.

Cornstarch

Cornstarch is a light flour and adds lightness to cake, biscuits, cookies, and pastry bakes. Cornstarch is generally easy to find in any supermarket and is also a very affordable starch.

Potato starch or arrowroot powder/flour will work as substitutions for this blend. You can also try sweet rice flour (also known as glutinous rice flour), although not a pure starch, it is a high starch flour. Although the name sounds a lot as if it can contain gluten, thank goodness it doesn’t. This is an amazing flour! I truly enjoy using it. It is a largely used ingredient in many Asian dishes. Yes, this means that there are desserts that can be made using only this flour (mochi ice cream, doughnuts?) Yum!

Potato flour

Potato flour and potato starch are not the same and can’t be used interchangeably, similar to the differences for tapioca and cassava flour. Unfortunately, I haven’t found any substitutes that can be used for potato flour.

Xanthan gum

This is an important ingredient in any gluten free baking. I include this in my flour because it allows me the comfort to know that my baked goods will hold together and not fall apart. If you decide to use a different blend that doesn’t contain xanthan gum, you will need to add it into your recipes as it is an important ingredient to replicate the gluten effect in baking. It helps thicken, capture bubbles from leavening, and emulsifies. A rule of thumb is to use 1 teaspoon per cup of gluten free flour.

Some will say that you can use guar gum as a substitute, and you can try this. However, guar gum works best in cold foods like ice cream whereas xanthan gum is preferred for baked goods.

Baobab fruit powder/flour

Baobab is a superfood. It is rich in calcium, potassium, magnesium, protein and high in antioxidants. It is also very rich in fiber. Baobab acts similar to pectin and helps add structure. Most of all, it helps absorb moisture. This helps get rid of the problem of dry baked goods that people often experience when baking gluten free. Baobab powder will keep goods from drying out and ensure that they stay soft.

Make some delicious recipes like carrot cupcakes, lamingtons, and chocolate chip cookies!

Enjoy baking again!

Love,